The present invention relates to an indicating device for elevators, wherein the indicating device includes an electroluminescent indicator and a sound reproducing apparatus.
As used in this application, an indicating device is a device that enables the reproduction of visual and/or acoustic data.
As used in this application, a sound reproducing apparatus is any apparatus that converts electrical signals into acoustic, audible signals, for example into words, music, especially sound tones and so forth.
There is shown in the European patent specification EP 0 403 232 an electroluminescent display system for an elevator that includes not only an electroluminescent screen for the visual representation of elevator data, but also a loudspeaker for acoustic reproduction of elevator data. The electroluminescent screen is constructed with a plurality of pixels and has a glass plate front side for display of the illuminated pixels. The loudspeaker lies in the same plane as the electroluminescent screen, but at a specific spacing therefrom.
A disadvantage of this known device is that a separate place for the loudspeaker has to be provided around the electroluminescent screen and at a spacing therefrom. The screen is a thin-film electroluminescent screen which uses a glass plate as a support material. This necessarily causes a thicker construction of the finished display system. Thus, this display device requires quite a large amount of installation space in the elevator installation, with associated higher production and installation costs.
The invention concerns an indicating device of the type described above, which does not have the aforesaid disadvantages and which is space-saving.
This indicating device for an elevator installation includes an electroluminescent indicator and a sound-reproducing apparatus, wherein the sound-reproducing apparatus is arranged at a side of the electroluminescent indicator.
An advantage of the indicating device according to the present invention is that apart from the electroluminescent indicator, no separate space away from the indicator, is necessary for the sound-reproducing apparatus.
In one embodiment, the sound-reproducing apparatus is connected with the electroluminescent indicator. This has the advantage that the indicating device according to the present invention can be of compact construction. The sound-reproducing apparatus and the electroluminescent indicator can be assembled as one part.
In a further embodiment, the sound-reproducing apparatus is connected with the electroluminescent indicator by means of an adhesive. This leads to a simple and uncomplicated capability of assembly of the electroluminescent indicator with the sound-reproducing apparatus.
In a further embodiment, the sound-reproducing apparatus and the electroluminescent indicator are arranged one behind the other. In this embodiment the advantage is that the construction space required only in the depth direction and not in width. Thus, the projection of the electroluminescent indicator onto a surface determines the requisite amount of area for mounting the entire indicating device.
The sound-reproducing apparatus and the electroluminescent indicator of the present invention can be arranged between a frame and a housing. This provides a stable combination of the electroluminescent indicator and the sound-reproducing apparatus in the indicating device.
In addition, the sound-reproducing apparatus can be constructed as a flat loudspeaker. This leads to a thin mode of construction of the indicating device. This form of loudspeaker can be glued in simple manner with the electroluminescent indicator, whereby the high qualitative sound properties are not lost.
In a further embodiment, the electroluminescent indicator is constructed in accordance with the principle of thick-film electroluminescence. This has the advantage that no glass plate is required at the front side of the electroluminescent indicator, which leads to a space-saving construction and favorable capability of manufacture. The illuminated side is constructed to be very thin and can be glued in a problem-free manner in front of sound-reproducing apparatus. Moreover, such electroluminescent indicators produce an area illumination, which leads to a homogeneous illumination.
In addition, the electroluminescent indicator can be constructed as an electroluminescent lamp. This embodiment permits the use of a single electroluminescent lamp, which can be controlled in simple manner. Two terminals are sufficient for driving the electroluminescent lamp.
Moreover, the indicating device according to the present invention includes a fixing means so that the indicating device can be attached to a wall of the elevator installation. In particular, the fixing means is a wall mount. The indicating device can be mounted quickly and in stable manner to a wall by using such a fixing means.
All features of the indicating device according to the present invention are usable not only in the respectively indicated combinations, but also in other combinations or by themselves without departing from the scope of the invention.